Author: Rachel Petersen

When the things in your home start crowding in around you and you’re short on cash, it’s time to come up with some creative storage solutions. Don’t be afraid to think “out of the box”. You’re the only one who has to know where everything is stored.

– A cedar chest can be used for blanket storage. I don’t have enough cupboard space for blankets, and they all fit nicely in the chest. The chest also doubles as a coffee table in the living room. The blankets are easily accessible and can easily be folded up and put away at a moment’s notice.

– My daughter and I found an old apple crate (fruit labels still attached) with a shelf built into it at a yard sale for about $5. The crate is a great storage area for books and doubles as a nightstand.

– An old china cupboard displays dishes I didn’t want to hide away in the kitchen cupboards and also provides extra storage space for linens and silverware. This cabinet was found neglected in grandma’s basement and was brought back to life with a little sanding and new paint. It is now a beautiful addition to our dining room.

– Large plastic containers are great for organizing kids’ rooms. My daughter had a lot of “stuff” stashed all over her room, and we gathered it all up and put all her arts and crafts supplies in one big container, and her writing materials in another. Homework is organized in a plastic container set up as a file organizer, organized by subject.

– Look outside for creative storage ideas. We had to clean out our spare bedroom and had no idea where to put our camping equipment. We don’t have a garage or a shed, so an old camper shell turned out to be the perfect solution. All our camping gear fit into it with room to spare, freeing up more room in the house.

– Organize seasonal decorations in large plastic containers. Plastic wears better than cardboard and if you buy similarly sized containers, they will stack easily and be easy to store.

– A long flat underbed-type plastic storage container is great for organizing holiday gift wrap. With the wrapping paper I store scissors, tape, gift bags, ribbon, bows, and extra cards. This container fits perfectly under one of our living room couches and all my gift-giving supplies are together in one place!

– Shop for furniture that doubles as extra storage space. We bought a cabinet for my husband’s 55 gallon aquarium and the entire bottom part of the cabinet is open for approximately six feet of additional storage space.

Whether you are living in a small apartment or a tiny efficiency apartment, there are ways to make your home cozy, practical, and attractive. No longer are you bound by the confines of designated space – you can make up your home’s character and allot space as you see fit. To make your one-room or small home a place you love to come home to – make sure you arrange and decorate your belongings to suit your activities and interests.

Space planning begins with thinking through how you plan to live on a d ay-by-day basis. Start with waking up, grabbing breakfast, going to work, coming home, relaxing and spending your evening hours. Think about how each of these activities would be made easier and more comfortable with the right amount of space. For most apartment dwellers, lack of space is a perpetual problem. If you don’t have the space, think about what can be compromised.
Following a space budget is really no different than watching your money. The more space you have, the more you can allow for things and the more you can separate your activities with space allocated for entertaining, living, home-officing exercising, and sleeping. The less you have, the more creative you need to be.

The main thing to consider is devoting the most space to the activity that is the most important, and then arranging the space to make the execution of that activity easier.

Think fold-up, pull-out, and multipurpose. A dining table should be able to function as a desk. An armoire can open up to reveal a computer workstation as well as storage. The couch-futon can be used for sleep and when the bedding is put away, it becomes a place to entertain guests comfortably. A sofa can hide-a-bed (but be sure to look into the quality of the mattress and springs. Let the salesperson know that this will not be used occasionally, but daily.)
Wall-anchored lift-away beds (that can be moved easily to the next apartment) are an increasingly popular solution. New technologies and designs are making it possible to combine these sturdy beds with home office systems that fold neatly away behind handsome cabinets. Helene Meyer, owner of Roommaker Wall Systems says that one of the most common misconceptions about wall-beds is that they must be built-in.

On the contrary, says Meyer, it is the very portability of these systems that make them perfect for apartment renters because they can be easily moved from one home to the next. “We help the customer determine their needs and to pick the appropriate unit. I have had customers move their units from apartment to apartment and then into houses where they are put into guest rooms, children’s rooms and home offices.” The beds have a life of about 25 years if used daily. They take a 10″ thick Sealy Posturepedic mattress and are available in queen, double or twin size frames.

If space continues to be short, turn your attention to getting storage onto the walls and organizing your belongings to maximize space. Write down the situations for which you need practical solutions and visit some retailers who may be able to help. Stores with an on-line presence such as The Container Store, Pottery Barn, and Crate and Barrel can be particularly good sources of ideas and solutions.

Don’t make the mistake of giving space to those special occasions or activities that come rarely or never happen, especially when you don’t have room to spare. You don’t need to be giving precious storage space to things you don’t use on a daily basis. Daily use items must get top priority.

Divide your possessions into A, B, and C categories of importance. Those in the C category, you can either throw out, donate, recycle or store in a storage unit.

You’ve conquered your house, your home office, and your car, and you’ve mastered the art of scheduling and cooking in bulk. But your garage is still a cluttered and unorganized mess. As with everything else, a neat and organized garage is attainable with just a little elbow grease and some simple storage solutions.

First, get a handle on the mess by moving everything out to sort through what goes and what stays. Large, clear plastic containers can help you do this. They’re great for clearing away the clutter and then using for storage. Be ruthless with yourself during the sorting and purging process. Don’t keep paint from a project from two years ago, and if you have parts to things you no longer have, get rid of the parts as well.

Consider adding a cabinet to your garage. Look for units that offer keyed locks, so you’re able to store poisonous materials and sharp tools out of children’s reach.

The garage is also where most of your kid’s sporting goods land. To keep bats and balls organized, purchase a hamper-style organizer. Designate a section for each child. Add a bin or shelf outside to store messy, muddy shoes as well.
Find a workable storage solution for all the little things in your garage. Organize bolts, screws, nails, fasteners and other small parts into small clear containers so you can easily see what each contains. Organize into steady stacks or consider installing a shelving unit to house these out of the reach of small and curious fingers.

For long-handled items, such as rakes and shovels, look for storage units to keep everything straight or use a durable rubber trash can. Pegboards can also be installed on garage walls, and can be a simple solution for hanging items such as rakes or shovels out of the way. They can also be hung on hooks. Inexpensive hooks come in a variety of sizes. Large deep hooks are perfect for hanging a ladder and bikes can be hung and kept off the garage floor as well.
Now that you’ve practiced on your house, your office and your car, organizing your garage is a snap with a little creativity, some hard work, and a well thought out plan.

A number of us are struggling with the same problem: too much stuff, too little room. Whether we live in a home we have outgrown, or we remain in a small apartment with next to no storage area, we are bursting at the joints.

One smart solution is to keep seasonal products off-site. Clothes, from season sports devices – even that snazzy little Miata convertible – can be saved efficiently by getting cheap long-term storage in Melbourne . Correct use of a storage unit can be a great organisational tool that streamlines your life.

How to get started?

The first trick in renting a storage unit is to figure out just how much storage area you require. Take a look at precisely what you own, and choose, first, whether you need it at all, and 2nd, whether you expect it now. Choose what you wish to keep and where it will go in the storage unit, and estimate the area you will need.

Many people, as soon as they lease storage units in Trafalgar just begin piling things in, pushing things into the back then progressing, up until they have substantially transferred their disorganised mess from home into the storage unit. Don’t do that!

When you rent your storage unit, spend some time to think out an organisational plan. Store all the ski devices together; the boating equipment together; the clothing together, divided into a different location or container for each person in the household. Talk to the storage centre to learn whether you can connect shelving, pegboard, or hanging systems to the inside of the unit to help you organise. Aim to supply the same kind of storage capacity within the storage unit that you would offer if your home storage space were optimum. Always remember to allow enough room to move around within the unit quickly.

Do you have a family member away at college, or for another reason, for an extended period? Depending on the scenarios, you might wish to use their space for another function, temporarily (as long as it will not trigger injured feelings!). Move their valuables, arrange them so that you (or the family member) has easy access, and stash them in your storage unit. If you want to, offer them with their key to the unit.

If you own your own home, contact your insurance company to discover whether it covers the personal belongings in your storage unit. If you rent, you may wish to buy tenant’s insurance, and ensure it covers the possessions you have kept or ask the self-storage centre if it provides coverage, either free or for a charge.

A storage unit is more than just a place where you can dump your stuff but also an organisational tool that is well worth considering. You might just be surprised how much space you would be able to free up which makes life more convenient for you and your family.